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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24818254">Be okay</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sylsprena/pseuds/sylsprena'>sylsprena</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>It was just a prank, Josh [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Until Dawn (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU where Josh was pranked, Comfort, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Mike saves Josh in the mines, Near-Death Experience, hallucinations (auditory sensory and visual), wendigoes are scary</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:54:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,064</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24818254</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sylsprena/pseuds/sylsprena</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike’s hand was pulling him closer then, as if to say “stop. Come back to me.”</p><p>And he did.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mike Munroe/Josh Washington</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>It was just a prank, Josh [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1804837</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Be okay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is set in an AU where Josh was the one who was pranked.<br/>Edit: I changed what I originally had happen that night. Watch out for a new story about that. ;)</p><p>TW for mild hallucinations.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I’m sorry.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Josh tilted his head, tense and stiff, toward the man sitting by his side.</p><p>Mike was looking at him—or did he just look because Josh looked?</p><p> </p><p>“Did...” the words got stuck in Josh’s throat. Why should they? It was obvious he was psycho.</p><p> </p><p>Mike blinked. “Did what?”</p><p> </p><p>Shit. It was just in my head.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing.”</p><p> </p><p>Silence descended on them again, waiting in the dark, completely at the mercy of nature, of the wendigo, of God, if you believe in that sort of thing. Josh couldn’t say he did.</p><p> </p><p>But damn did he wish he could. He’d do anything for an angel, for a miracle right now.</p><p> </p><p>The thought brought a rush of dread to Josh, and with it, a piercing pain. He covered his head with his hands, running his hands through his unkept hair, feeling the sweat at the base of his scalp.</p><p> </p><p>“—Josh. Really. I mean it.”</p><p> </p><p>Josh tried to ignore it, but Mike’s voice sounded so...real. He couldn’t help but sneak a glance.</p><p> </p><p>Mike was looking at him again, this time with a complicated expression.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry. For everything.”</p><p> </p><p>Josh stared back, and Mike rolled his shoulders and tensed up when the sound of something moving snapped both of their attention toward the light coming from behind and above them.</p><p> </p><p>Somewhere in the sky, a bird flew past, and the two men found themselves unable to release their held breaths.</p><p> </p><p>“...I just...If we...y’know, if we die down here—I just want you to know that I’m really, truly sorry. That stupid prank...Josh, it was wrong. God, if I’d known...”</p><p> </p><p>“If you’d known what?”</p><p>Josh faced him then, his hands having lowered from his hair to draw his legs closer to him.</p><p> </p><p>“...Well...”</p><p> </p><p>Josh swallowed. He knew what Mike meant. If he’d known Josh was a total pity case, he wouldn’t have decided to lead him on in front of all their friends and a camera. He wouldn’t have—</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>It wasn’t his fault. He wasn’t the one who sent us to our deaths. You did.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck the whispers, the whispers were coming back they’re coming back no I can’t let them no—</p><p> </p><p>“Dude. You alright?”</p><p> </p><p>Josh shook his head. Then he shook it again. And again.</p><p> </p><p>“Shit...”</p><p> </p><p>There was a noise—like a log snapping in half. Big, loud, and only a dozen or so feet in front of them. They both froze. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Josh realized Mike’s hand was on his back. Steady. Warm. And a little slick with sweat.</p><p> </p><p>They waited, frozen in place, for at least two minutes before Mike tentatively scooted closer.</p><p> </p><p>Josh didn’t trust himself. He didn’t trust anything going on. But somehow he knew that Mike’s touch was real—was different, from the empty pockets of heat he’d feel before. From the frozen hands. It was solid, and strong, and shaped. It was real.</p><p> </p><p>“Is this...okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Josh opened his eyes. Mike was beside him, <em>right</em> beside him, with a hand on his farthest shoulder and the other on his own knee.</p><p> </p><p>Josh stared into the black abyss before them, then ducked his head toward Mike and focused on the way the light from far above them trickled down to highlight half of Mike’s face.</p><p> </p><p>The one half showed his eyes, uncertain, guilty, and yet terrified. Below them, his nose cast a shadow on his lips, creating a strange shape jutting from his face. It felt weird to look at. In fact...</p><p> </p><p>The longer Josh stared, the shape began to twist into something corporal, something real, and in a panic Josh reached out and touched his fingers to Mike’s lips.</p><p> </p><p>Fuck. Okay. Good.</p><p> </p><p>His hand went straight through the shadow, and the image dissipated. He felt it claw at his mind, wanting to slip into the illusion again, wanting the shadow to creep up his wrist and up his arm—</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, uh.”</p><p> </p><p>Mike pulled away, just enough for Josh’s hand to hang empty in the air. His eyes flickered down to Josh’s fingers, then to Josh’s eyes, then down to his chest.</p><p> </p><p>“...S-Sorry. Yeah. My bad, shit.”</p><p> </p><p>Josh pulled his hand back, surprised yet grateful that Mike’s arm was still around him.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s cool.”</p><p> </p><p>Mike’s words were half hearted, distracted. Josh watched as his eyes scanned the darkness, waiting, hoping that the wendigo was gone. Wishing they had weapons. Wishing there was more than just the way out through the door.</p><p> </p><p>Realizing, as Josh had a long time ago, that fate might have something else in mind for them. Something terrifying, and yet strangely alluring. Final.</p><p> </p><p>Josh couldn’t register what was happening in time for him to stop his hand from reaching to grab onto Mike’s.</p><p> </p><p>Mike looked at him, then back to the darkness. Josh held on tighter. Mike turned back to face him again.</p><p> </p><p>“...If we die down here...”</p><p> </p><p>“Josh.”</p><p> </p><p>“If we do, I just want you to know. You know. For what it’s worth. I’m sorry, too.”</p><p> </p><p>That was the most Josh had spoken coherently to him since the shed, if that even counted. Mike held onto his words.</p><p> </p><p>“...Yeah.” A pause. “We both fucked up pretty bad, huh.”</p><p> </p><p>Josh nodded. Mike had hoped for a chuckle, but it was a faint hope. Like the thought that they might be able to survive this.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think it’s gone?”</p><p> </p><p>Mike bit his lip.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck. I can’t tell.”</p><p> </p><p>Of course he wouldn’t know. Josh didn’t know why he asked.</p><p> </p><p>Mike knew they hadn’t heard the Wendigo for at least ten minutes, but fear warned him not to try their luck. No, it was, in a way, safer here.</p><p> </p><p>They drifted into quiet again.</p><p> </p><p>Mike traced patterns into Josh’s shoulder with his thumb, moving to his upper back. Josh was tense. And not just the knot-in-the-back kind of tense. He was rock solid; like, completely still. Which was pretty different from his full body tremor earlier, when Mike had found him in the same spot as before.</p><p> </p><p>God, he couldn’t believe he came back for him.</p><p> </p><p>But he wasn’t going to leave him to disaster. Not again.</p><p> </p><p>“...Why did you come back?”</p><p> </p><p>Mike cringed as his unwanted thoughts were spoken by his sort-of-friend.</p><p> </p><p>“...Look, it’s not important. You should save your breath.”</p><p> </p><p>But Josh was staring at him again with those big, intense eyes. Mike had to say something.</p><p> </p><p>“Wouldn’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>Josh paused. He seemed to think on that for a moment before staring at the illuminated ground beneath them. Dirt and stone were met with flaky moonlight, bits of dust scattering about and surrounding the two of them, trapping them further in the cave while dancing in their one source of hope. The light above them could disappear at any moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Josh.”</p><p> </p><p>Josh raised his head slowly, as if the wendigo were watching them, waiting for the smallest movement.</p><p> </p><p>“So...God, don’t take this the wrong way. Fuck what am I saying, you’re not yourself right now...”</p><p> </p><p>Mike was rambling. The corners of Josh’s vision taunted him with shapes like eyes and gangly forms, while the buzzing at the back of his head threatened to overtake him.</p><p> </p><p>He pushed it away, ignored the faces in his peripheral, and focused. Focused on each word Mike said, and the way he loosened his grip on his back.</p><p> </p><p>“—and I guess this is wrong but, I just want to make it up to you. And I figure...if we die...”</p><p> </p><p>Josh blinked. What was Mike talking about?</p><p> </p><p>But then Mike’s hand was holding his, and their eyes were locked—one pair searching and genuine, the other wide and lost.</p><p> </p><p>Josh watched the way Mike’s eyelashes fluttered as his gaze moved lower. Mike raised his other hand slowly, hesitantly, until he was holding Josh’s chin between his thumb and the side of his index finger.</p><p> </p><p>Josh felt himself go still. Then, in a dizzying drop, Mike started moving closer to him. Moving their faces to meet in the moonlight, Mike’s lips pressing against Josh’s and sending a surge of...relief through him.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, the images behind the backs of Josh’s eyelids changed, and all he knew was light—dim, grey light behind his closed eyes, and the sound of Mike’s lips caressing his own.</p><p> </p><p>Josh leaned into the kiss despite himself, despite the memories of almost-kisses and cameras and hiding and sisters venturing into the night—</p><p> </p><p>Mike’s hand was pulling him closer then, as if to say <em>stop. Come back to me.</em></p><p> </p><p>And he did.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Josh’s jaw was wider than Mike expected. He’d seen the guy a hundred times, but he never quite knew just how different it would feel. Such a chiseled, sharp design against his own—so distinctly male. And yet Mike felt something real, something that sharpened his senses and prepared him for whatever would come.</p><p> </p><p>Mike took Josh’s lips in his own, hand moving to his jaw, staying, only moving to his neck where Josh’s slow pulse beat against his palm. Mike tapped his fingers against Josh’s tan skin, and Josh leaned into his touch, pushing against his lips.</p><p> </p><p>Mike meant to tease at Josh’s lips, to ask for permission, but the moment his mouth parted, Josh was moving into him. Mike’s eyes fluttered but stayed closed, and he nearly forgot the ever-present fear at the front of the cave. Nearly.</p><p> </p><p>Mike lowered his hand, rubbing circles just below Josh’s collar. Josh in turn moved his hand to Mike’s waist, squeezing him softly.</p><p> </p><p>Mike sighed, and Josh took the opportunity to inhale before their noses were bumping together, jagged and sloped, and Josh’s tongue was working magic Mike never knew he needed.</p><p> </p><p>Something moved at the front of the cave, something quick and quiet. Mike froze, but Josh just pulled Mike against him, tongue leaving to allow his lips to pull on Mike’s. Mike blinked. Josh inhaled again through his nose then kissed him, kissed Mike like it was the last thing he’d ever do.</p><p> </p><p>And fuck. It probably was.</p><p> </p><p>Mike’s eyelids lowered, and then closed, and he was kissing back. Stubble grazed against soft tan skin, and the sound at the front of the room repeated. Mike tightened his grip on Josh’s collar, the fear threatening to send tears to his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>Josh was lost. Lost in Mike’s touch, in the warmth of his hold, in the way his lips pulled at his own. He kissed Josh because he needed him. Because he felt something.</p><p> </p><p>The moonlight was bright. Dust taunted them, moving freely without fear. Rocks dug into them as they sat, half in each other’s laps, breath hot and quiet as can be, lips grazing, meeting, whispering.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>Mike closed his eyes. Josh’s words were a death sentence. Surely, the wendigo heard them, and yet Mike couldn’t stop himself from whispering back against his skin.</p><p> </p><p>“Josh...”</p><p> </p><p>Josh shut his eyes, and somewhere far away an inhuman scream tore through the air, ringing out to them.</p><p> </p><p>A tear slipped past Mike’s eye, and he held Josh tight.</p><p> </p><p>Then they waited.</p><p> </p><p>And waited.</p><p> </p><p>Until finally, their eyes opened. Mike convinced himself to meet the darkness, and Josh closed his eyes, leaning into Mike, cheek resting on his shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“...It’s...”</p><p> </p><p>Quiet.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not there.”</p><p> </p><p>...What?</p><p> </p><p>Josh’s eyes opened, and he tore his head away to stare into the darkness. Eyes jumped out at him, and instinctively, he tightened his hold on Mike’s hip. But they weren’t the eyes he knew. No. Mike was right.</p><p> </p><p>“...Holy shit.”</p><p> </p><p>Mike laughed. Actually <em>laughed</em>, and if Josh wasn’t still recovering from totally accepting his fate, he’d’ve slapped him for being so loud.</p><p> </p><p>“What the fuck?”</p><p> </p><p>Mike ducked his head to the side, wiping discreetly at the wetness on his cheek.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck, that was...We’re alive.”</p><p> </p><p>“For now.”</p><p> </p><p>Mike couldn’t even register Josh’s words. He just smiled, until his eyes met the other man’s—and he paused.</p><p> </p><p>Josh’s lips were soft and puffy, his eyes more relaxed than earlier (ironically), and he watched him with...something incredibly fond.</p><p> </p><p>Mike should’ve been embarrassed. He should’ve felt bad. Should’ve just apologized, and let him go. But he didn’t want to.</p><p> </p><p>Mike’s arms wrapped around Josh, and he held him by his waist, tucking his head into his neck. There was a beat, then Josh was holding him back.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re okay.”</p><p> </p><p>Josh shivered. Mike was whispering the words against his skin.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re gonna be okay.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So much fluff aaaah. I love them.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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